Springs Spree 2013 is taking place in Memorial Park on June 15 and 16 and will feature the debut of Pikes Peak Library District’s Kids Spree area, by far the biggest square footage change to the annual event. PPLD Kids Spree will feature interactive activities for kids, including art, workshops, live entertainment, and so much more!

Highlights will include a petting zoo, pony rides, the Springs Spree Train, tigers from the Serenity Springs Wildlife Center, and the Fun Bus.

The Library will also have materials available for its “Dig Into Reading” free Summer Reading Program that runs from June 1 – July 31. Register online at ppld.org, read books, and win prizes when you bring your reading log to your local library!

Among the other local organizations offering entertainment and/or activities to Kids Spree will be: Catamount Institute, Bestway Disposal, Children’s Acting Club, City Rock, Home Depot, Junior Achievement, Junior League, YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region, Christmas Unlimited, and Imagination Celebration.

Mascots from Rocky Mountain PBS, Wendy’s, ItZ, Bestway, and Chick-fil-A will also be on hand.

Supplies
• Mini Styrofoam bowl or small aluminum tart pan
• Sheet of adhesive backed Fun Foam
• Small ball of playdough or model magic
• Wood Craft Stick or coffee stirrer from Starbuck’s works the best. (See picture below)

Directions
• Cut fun foam into a triangle shape. Hold it over the mini bowl and see if it is a good size w/ the bowl. Decorate the sail with markers. You can use stickers but they do not stick very well on the foam.

• Get coffee stirrer and break off about an inch on one end. Peel back the white liner on the back of the fun foam and place the stirrer or the stick along the edge, press down, and then replace the white liner.

• Form some playdough into a ball and place it in the middle of the bowl. Press thumbs around the ball so there is a flattened edge around the playdough. (See picture down and to right)

• When playdough is dry the boat will float. You might want to put some dried beans in the bowl or some rocks to give the boat a little weight to keep it steady. Enjoy!

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Supplies:
• Small envelope (thank you card size works great).
• Half page of 8 ½ x 11 white cardstock or construction paper.
• Black marker with a somewhat narrower point (to draw facial features) You can use crayons or colored markers if you wish.
• Crayons – Pink or variation to color inside of bunny ears.
• Safety scissors. Parents may need to help with the cutting with younger children.
• Miniature marshmallow or pom-pom.

Instructions:

• Fold envelope in half. Cut on folded line. You will only need half of the envelope to make your bunny.
• Draw a bunny face on the front of your envelope with eyes, nose, mouth and whiskers if you want.
• Draw some bunny ears on your white piece of paper. You might want to put your half envelope on the paper and draw the ears above it so they are the right size. Color the inside of the ears whatever color you would like. Cut out ears.
• Glue ears on back side of envelope facing toward the bunny face. Glue on marshmallow or small pom-pom for tail.
• Open envelope put on middle three fingers of your hand and enjoy your bunny finger puppet!

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Supplies

• 1 Used cd – no cracks or heavy scratches
• Styrofoam ball approx. 2” diameter
• Chenille stem in sparkle gold, silver or your favorite color.
• Craft knife – ask adult to help you use it
• Foam shapes to decorate planet –stars, swirls, abstract shapes

Instructions

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Starting April 12, 2013, bring your child to play each Friday morning, with developmentally appropriate toys, games, music, puzzles and books that will help with future reading success! This is for children under 5, with a caring adult. No registration required.

What: Play & Learn
Where: Cheyenne Mountain Library
When: Fridays, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Supplies:

• toilet paper tube
• acrylic paint: flesh(peach), pink, white, and black. Can also use tempera, markers , crayons, or chalk.
• 1” strip of construction paper or white ribbon.
• 5 chenille stems (or pipe cleaners): 1 red & 1 purple twisted together. Plus, 1 more red chenille stem, and 2 silver or white chenille stems.
• 2 cotton balls
• white craft glue
• scissors
• google eyes, optional

Instructions:

• Color your toilet paper tube a flesh, peachy sort of color. For the sample below, I used white and pink chalk and mixed it together with my finger.



• Wrap the 1” strip of ribbon or paper around the tube about a half inch from the bottom of tube. Glue on with white tacky glue.
• Take the two cotton balls and pull them out flat. Place on top of tube and move it around until it looks like hair. Lift gently and apply glue on rim of tube to hold the hair down.
• For the wings use the two white or silver chenille stems. Twist them together at the end and then form a figure 8 shape and twist the two stems together in the middle. Attach wings to the back of tube with craft glue and press it tight to the tube to give it a chance to bond.
• To make the bow and arrow take the red and purple twisted chenille stem and form the letter D out of it. You may want to add a line of glue and some glitter. For the bow, use the last red chenille stem and at one end form a triangle for the arrow point. On the other end of the stem form a little heart for the end of the arrow.
• Draw on a simple face for the cupid. Google eyes can be glued on if desired. Then glue the bow and arrow to the front of cupid. Also press on the bow and arrow to give it a chance to bond.

This cupid will bring smiles to those around you!!


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Speaking Up: Standing Strong

What is courage? What does it mean to encourage? What do you care most about? Which of your passions would you shout about?

Prizes: Six winners of $25 each. Winners will also receive a book and a Kennedy Center Imagination Celebration poster.

Eligibility: Open to all fourth and fifth graders in the Pikes Peak region. Meets Colorado Model Content Standards 1, 2, and 4 for Reading and Writing

Contest rules:
1. One entry per student. Teachers are urged to review poems and submit no more than five per class.
2. Each poem must be the original work of the contestant.
3. Poems will be judged on originality, including poem title and adherence to the theme.
4. Submit two typed, double-spaced copies of each poem on 8 ½” x 11” paper (no handwritten submissions or illustrations will be accepted.) Include ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER: name, telephone number, home address, school name and address, and teacher and principal’s names. Poems will not be returned. Please keep a copy.
5. Entries must be postmarked by February 19, 2013.

Submission of a poem constitutes full permission to exhibit, use, and publish the poem for any purpose – printed or electronic media – and to publish the name, school, and photographs of the student without compensation.

Mail entries to:
The Jean Ciavonne Poetry Contest
c/o Nancy Maday
Pikes Peak Library District
P.O. Box 1579
Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1579

Or fax to: (719) 632-6043

Questions? Call Nancy Maday at (719) 531-6333, x2405

Award will be announced in mid-April as part of the Imagination Celebration and Young People’s Poetry Week.

Supplies:

• Blue cardstock paper or any color you choose
• Q-tips, 1 pkg.
• Glue (tacky or a thicker type than Elmers or glue stick)

Instructions:

• Make a pile of 10-20
  Q-tips.
• Break several Q-tips in half, probably 5-10, then break the tips off of about 10-15.
• Glue a Q-tip straight up and down on your paper. Now place two half Q- tips perpendicular to the whole stick. Then place another half stick in between the other two Q- tips and another tip on the other side of the whole tip (see picture above).
• Your placement can be however you want it since no two snowflakes are alike.
• The tips that are off of the stick can be placed at the end of the snowflake for a finished look. Be creative and use your imagination to make a beautiful snowflake design of your own.

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Supplies:
1. Brown sock (one you don’t use anymore)
2. 1- 1″ red pom-pom nose (or a round red button, cotton ball, etc).
3. 2- large (1″-2″) google eyes or make eyes out of fun foam or paper.
4. Brown paper- 8 1/2 x 11(or use white and color in the brown)
5. 2- 2″ craft clothespins or can use safety pins, etc.
6. 1 small bell – 1″
7. Approximately 8-10″ of super thin ribbon or yarn in Christmas colors.
8. Elmers glue or Tacky glue

Directions:
1. Have your child place their hands on brown paper and parent or other adult draws around the hands with marker, pen, pencil, or crayon. If child is old enough they can draw their own hands one at a time.

2. Cut out the handprints- these will be the antlers.

3. Glue clothespin to the back of the antlers. Let dry 10 min.

4. Glue on eyes 2-3 inches down from the heel of the sock.

5. Glue on red pom-pom at middle of the toe of the sock.

6. Thread bell on the red ribbon and tie around the reindeer’s neck.

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Supplies

• Small box, butter box, small square cookie box, bottom of paper milk carton, etc.
• Paint – can use brown or gray for boat.
• Paint brushes
• Scissors
• Clay or Play-doh
• Drinking Straw or long thin wooden coffee stirrer from Starbucks
• Paper for the sails – not construction paper
• Black marker

Directions

• Cut the top off of your box if it has one so you have an open rectangular box to start with.
• Paint box brown or gray and let dry.
• Pinch one end of the box a bit so that it forms a point to be the front of the boat. If your boat won’t do this it’s not a problem.
• Cut some squares of paper to use for your sail. Make them different sizes for a better look.
• Poke a hole in the top and bottom of each square of paper. Thread a drinking straw through both holes or a stirrer and push the top and bottom of the sail toward the center to get it to bend. (See picture above.)
• Once the sails are made, place a ball of clay in the bottom of the boat and stick the straw/stirrer into the clay so it stands up.
• Use a marker to write the “Mayflower” on the side.

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